or distastfull And for this reason sorrow and ioy discouer the inclination we haue to any one The second is that friends share equally betwixt them the good and euill They say that there are images of wax vpon the which inchanters deliuer such powerfull spells as being made to represent any person as soone as they are wronged the body of him for whom they were fashioned feeles paine In this sort there is such a bond of affection betwixt friends as the harme which happens to the one afflicts the other and fills him with bitternesse so as many times we haue seene true friends die with sorrow for the losse of their friend Yea prophane histories are full of Persons which haue slaine themselues for that they would not suruiue them whom they haue loued dearely In like manner the prosperity of friends passeth from one to another so as the tryumphs of Alexander are the coÌ„tentments of Ephestion and the glory of Ephestion is the ioy of Alexander The third is that they which loue should haue the same friends and the same enemies They say the Adamant or Loadstone doth not only make an impression vpon iron which it drawes but doth also impart his vertue by his touching so as the iron which it hath toucht drawes other iron vnto it and makes as it were a continued chaine In the same manner a friend brings his friends to him he loues and he reciprocally imparts vnto him his friends whereof there is framed a common bond which makes them ready to succor one another as if they were members of one body To what Persons Loue extends CHAP. 3. ALthough that loue hath for his generall obiect the bounty and beauty which shines in those things which present them selues vnto our eyes and soules yet there are diuerse particular considerations and diuerse beames which excite this Passion and fashion it in the hearts of men Aristotle numbers fifteene causes the which are also diuided into other branches whereof we will treate as briefely as wee may taking only that which shall belong vnto our subiect First sayth he men loue them which do them good or whom they thinke haue a will to do it or to their friends In truth there is nothing that more bindes the hearts of men and induceth them more to loue then benefits For euen bruite beasts feele the good which they receiue from men and there is no creature so wild whom good vsage doth not make gentle and tame They that gouerne Lyons feare not their rage but play about them without any apprehension of their fury for that this generous Creature knowes him that hath a care to feede him By continuall feeding they bring Elephants to do what seruice they desire And wee must not obiect against it that it hath beene a common complaint in the mouth of men in all ages that most of the benefits that are bestowed in the world are lost for that they fall vpon vngratefull soules who do not acknowledge themselues in any sort bound For as an Ancient hath obserued this proceedes not from the nature of the benefits which contrariwise haue a particular vertue to draw the affection and to charme the will but most commonly the fault proceeds from our selues for that wee either erre in our election doing good to vnworthy persons or we distribute it ill if we take away the grace For wee must not think that our benefites bind a friend if we suffer our selues to be too much courted if we make him to languish in the pursuite or if we do it with a kind of vnwillingnesse for by these meanes wee take away all the merrit and bond of the benefit for that no man will thinke himselfe beholding for that which hee hath purchased so dearely wherefore an Ancient called benefits of that nature a loafe filled with stones which no man can vse Men therefore thinke themselues bound to those from whom they receiue benefits whether they be great and worthy to bee acknowledged in regard of their greae shew and magnificence or that they which are the authors bestow them freely without importunity and with a singular demonstration of Loue or that such as giue haue made a sit choice of time to bind them assisting them when as they or their friends had extreame neede and when as they thinke that for their owne sakes they haue bound them by these benefits They also Loue the friends of their friends and such as haue any conformity with them in the subiect of their affection and that Loue those whom they Loue and who also make profession to be enemies to their enemy The reason is that reputing their friends good as their owne they beleeue that the good which is done vnto their friends extends vnto themâ—selues and that they do participate wholy thereof In regard whereof they loue the spring and fountaine And contrariwise they beleeue that the auersion and distast they haue of their enemies is a token of the loue they beare them They also loue those that succour them with their meanes or bind them with the hazard of their liues For first of all men loue bountifull friends passionatly imagining that they are borne for the good of mankind As for the second men loue great courages imagining that they are supporters of their liues that they will neuer suffer wrong to bee done vnto the weake and feeble They also loue such as they hold to bee iust and resemble not the Harpeys or rauening birds which liue of spoyle but content themselues with their owne fortunes committing no outrage nor offering violence to any And in this rancke they put labourers and handicrafts men to whom all the world seemes to beare an affection in regard of the innocency of their profession They also put in the same rancke temperate persons in whom they see some great modesty to shine which shew that their soules are not inclined to any kind of iniustice They againe esteeme those that leade a peaceable life which haue no curiosity and which pry not into the liues of other men but content themselues to order gouerne those that are submitted to their care and charge presupposing that such as containe themselues within these bounds thinke not of any iniustice or wickednesse Men also Loue famous persons who by their vertue haue attained to an eminent glory and an extraordinary reputation bee it generally in the world or only among good men or among such as they haue in admiration or by whom they themselues are admired and they especially make great shew of their affection when as they presume that these Persons in all their dignity and greatnes disdaine them not but are wel pleased with the testimonies of their Passion so wee haue seene people runne by whole troupes from all the corners of the world to see conquerours such as did triumph men of holy life and Persons indued with rare knowledge or wisedome aboue the common sort of men The reason is for that
affect it and seeke it yet hauing a desire it imports not whether the knowledge be precisely in themselues or that some other cause supplies this defect and insinuates it selfe into this action to guide it The reason whereof is that although they be depriued of knowledge yet it hinders not the force of their motions for that they are vnited to that great intelligence which knoweth all things and cannot erre in her knowledge but guides all the naturall causes to their ends by her wise prouidence But these things haue alwayes neede of knowledge and desire to put them into action although that in regard of knowledge it is not absolutely necessary it reside in them but it sufficeth that it be imparted vnto them by the influence and assistance of a more eminent cause As for those which haue life it may be plainly obserued in the course of their liues But we must remember that the soule being the forme of liuing thinges and naturall formes hauing this in particular that the more Noble containes the perfection of that which is lesse Noble as a quadrangle comprehendes with a certaine eminency all that enters into the composition of a Triangle and as the formes of beasts containe the formes of the Elements It followes that there beeing three degrees of Soules that is to say that which giues life which is the lesse perfect that which giues sense which is the second ranke and the Reasonable which is the noblest of all this Reasonable soule which is peculiar onely to Man containes all the powers and perfections of the other and can effect as much as all the rest together By reason whereof man hath a Vegetatiue soule which is common with plants he hath the sensitiue which he hath common with bruit heasts But he alone is in possession of the Reasonable soule whereby he hath nothing common with the rest of the Creatures After this either of these soules hath a number of powers befitting the operations which must arise The powers of the Vegetatiue soule are principally those which nourish which contribute to the growing and increase and which serue to Generation And those haue other powers for instruments to their actions as the power to draw the power to retaine the power to expell the excrements the power to disgest the nourishment and others which Philosophers assigne vnto them Moreouer there is a power which is as it were the Queene of all the rest to whose command and conduct they referre all their actions And that is the power of the naturall Appetite the which as wee haue sayd is one of those two things necessary to accomplish the actions of Nature According vnto these Lawes we see that the power we call Attractiue drawes the nourishment vnto her for that the Naturall Appetite doth presse and command her and in like manner the power which they call Expulsiue doth cast forth and expell those things which the same Natural Appetite doth abhorre and so of the other Powers which are ordained to diuerse ends But for that the Appetite which is blind and voyde of all Knowledge is not sufficient in Vegetatiue things to exercise their action but withall it is requisite that they be accompanied with Knowledge it therfore happens that the Vegetatiue soule being not so Noble that among all her powers there is not any one indued with Knowledge the vniuersall Nature which prouides for all supplies this defect and conducts by her Light the inclination of Vegetatiue substances to their ends and by the same meanes guides all the other powers which follow her motions in their actions So as Nature knowing the substance fitting and proper for the Nourishment shewes it and instructs the Naturall Appetite and ordaines that it shal bee drawne and disgested and conuerted into Nourishment for the preseruation of the Vegetable Indiuidue and the like may bee sayd of the other actions wherein doubtlesse liuings things diffâ—r not much from those that haue no life And we must not obiect that Plants seeme to bee indued with Knowledge for that they can distinguish a Iuicâ— which is proper for them from that which is pernitious the which seemes to bee a marke of Knowledge for although there were Pilosophers which did aâ—tribute vnto Plants a feeling of things which they sayd was lesse pure and lesse actiue then that of Creatâ—â—es Yet it is most certaine that the Nature of the Vegetatiue soule is too earthly to bee fit for the functions of the Sences which require othâ—â— Organs then those of the Plants And therefore although they draw vnto them good Iuice and reiect the bad it proceeds not from any Knowledge wherewith they are indued but from their Naturall vertues and properties guided by that Soueraigne Intelligence which disperseth her care ouer al the Creatures how base and abiect soeuer And it is also by her motion that the same Plants fly their Contraries as the Vine shunnes the Bay tree and that they shew such grace beauty in their workes as we see in the Spring time So as all these things bind vs not to beleeue that they are indued with Knowledge But let vs returne to our discourse and leauing the Vegetatiue soule ascend a degree higher and come to the Sensitiue This as the more Noble hath in her selfe the possession of Knowledge and hath no need to borrow it like vnto the Vegetatiue soule 〈◊〉 things without Life Moreouer shee hath three kinds of Powers that is to say the faâ—ulty to know the faculty to desire and the mouing power Bâ— the mouing power I vnderâ—stand that which executes the motion from one place to another as it is commanded and ordained by the faculty where the Desire is framed after that it is enlightened and guided by Knowledge The Knowing powers are of two sorts that is to say the Exterior and the Interior The Exterior are the fiue sences of Nature as Seeing Hearing Smelling Tasting Touching the which as messengers 〈◊〉 to the Interior powers induâ—d with Knowledge whatsoeâ—er we can comprehend and desire These Exterior powers 〈◊〉 the sences answers in some â—â—rt to the bodies of the Vniâ—erse whereof they comprehend 〈◊〉 Colours the Sounds the â—melles the Sauors the Cold â—â—e Heat and the other naturall qualities wherewith they are clothed The Interior powers capable of Knowledge are three whereof the first is the Common sence the which is called by that name for that it is as it were the Center to which doe flow the formes which are sent vnto it from the other sences So as from the Eyes it receiues the formes of Colours which they haue seene From the Hearing the formes of Sounds which haue toucht the Eare from Smelling the formes of Sauors which it hath sented from the Tongue the forme of Sweetnesse or Bitternesse which it hath tasted and from the body the formes oâ— those things which fall vnder the sence of Touching And 〈◊〉 not oâ—ely receiues the formeâ— which the other sences send vnâ—to it but it
other men in dangers at sea or land they are alwayes seene subiect to the common desires of men and they haue in that regard more vanity then constancy So as they haue bene forced to excuse these first motions and to confesse that it was not in the power of man to suppresse them but they would sometimes breake forth What remaines then but to confesse that reason must gouerne them and reduce them to a mediocrity which is found in vertue For as health doth not consist in the ruine of contrary qualities which are found in man but in the temperature which a good constitution giues them And as to make a perfect musique wee must not take away the diuersity of tunes but reduce them to a good accord to make the harmony perfect so the striuings of vertue consistes not wholy to roote all naturall Passions out of the soule but to moderate and gouerne them by the rule of reason It is true there are some Passions full of offence and which wee detest to heare named as Impudency Enuy Hatred and these wee make no question but they ought to bee supprest But there are others whose very names are pleasing as Pitty Modesty Honest Loue and the like and these need not any thing but to receiue a tincture from reason and vertue to make them altogether commendable But to prescribe vs a man that is not moued with any Passion were to depriue him of all humanity and to make him a stone or a god They that make profession of this proud and arrogant Philosophie cannot but laugh when as they reade in the writings of Poets that there hath bene men of that constitution and as we may say of that temper that no swords lancâ—s or other armes could pierce them or wound their bodies And they that haue had most credit among them haue derided those Philosophers which beleeued that there were certaine Ilands and Countries in the world as Delos and Egypt which had neuer felt the violence of earthquakes and which had continued for euer immoueable amidst the motions of all the other parts of the world And these people paint vs out a wise man so perfect so eminent and so fortified with vertue as all the stormes of Fortune yea the most violent Shipwrackes tortures and infamies cannot make any impression in his soule so as he continues immoueable in the midst of flames wheeles gibbets and all the fearefull horrors of death and shame What is hee that will not laugh at this strange vanity But the Stoickes say that it is a thing vnworthy of a wiseman adorned with perfect vertue to see himselfe transported with passions which are the diseases of the soule Whereunto we answere that Passions considered as they submit themselues vnto the lawes of reason are no infirmities of the soule but in that sence they are the instruments and obiects of vertue and as it were liuely sparkes which inflame desires in our soules and as Aristotle speakes they are the armes of reason It is true that as one saith the flowers of Egypt being continually charged and watered with the Vapor of Nilus which are grosse and earthly yeâ—â—d not such pleasant smelles as they would do without this obstacle euen so soules troubled with Passions cannot produce the vertuous actions which they would do without this agitation for that the motions and impressions which they make in our soules are like vnto the force of a violent torrent which teares vp stones ouerthrowes plants and drawes after it whatsoeuer opposeth it selfe against his violence for that they quench the reason depriue vs of iudgement smother the vnderstanding and suffer not any image of vertue in a soule that is transported But this happens to those which abandon themselues wholy to Passion and not vnto these who like vnto wise pilots prepare against a storme and when it comes endeauour to auoid it not loosing his iudgement in an accident which terrifies others Wee tame Elephants Tigers Lyons Panthers and other sauage beasts and are not moued and will they not allow vs a power to suppresse the brutishnesse of the sensitiue appetite and to moderate the Passions when as they aduance themselues against reason without great perturbation Finally when as these motions of Passions preuent the reason and anticipate all the resolutions of man wee cannot hold them bad seeing they are meere motions of nature without any shew of liberty And it is most certaine that not onely an ordinary wisedome is subiect thereunto but euen the most excellent soules I speake not of those which haue speciall guifts from God yea those that are indued with Heroicall vertues feele agitation seeing that vertue how eminent soeuer cannot so subiect the sensitiue appetite ouer which she doth not command as a slaue but as a Cittizen but it will anticipate the Empire of reason And this the Stoickes are forced to confesse seeing they affirme that it is not in the power of a wise man to free himselfe from perturbation when as some fearefull formes presents themselues suddenly to his eyes so as whatsoeuer he doth in those accidents hee will grow pale he will be amazed and his heart will shrinke vp Yet say they all this will happen without consenting to these motions for that it is in his power not to consent They adde that there is this difference betwixt a wiseman and one that is distracted for that an vnreasonable man yeilds to passions and obayes them wholy whereas the wiseman although he suffers the motions yet hee resists them still and generously preserues in his soule the lawes and loue of vertue heerein truely they approach neere to the doctrine which we teach But we must still remember that the office of reason is not to pull out of the soule of man all the rootes of Passions neither were it expedient or necessary she should do it But her duty is to prescribe them their bounds and to reduce them to a mediocrity as vertue requires As for example let vs presuppose a brother which hath lost his brother whom hee loued passionately and they coniure him not to lament for this losse not to afflict himselfe nor to shew any signe of mourning to preserue the reputation of a wiseman and absolutely vertuous Is it not rather a meere stupidity then a true constancy They that make these discourses shew that either they haue no naturall disposition or else they neuer fell into these calamities otherwise so sensible a griefe wold haue pulled out of their spirits this arrogant Philosophie and had forced them to confesse that humanity cannot suffer them to remaine insensible at such cruell accidents In the meane time as these Passions preuenting reason cannot be held good nor bad so when as they suffer themselues to be moderated and gouerned by reason they get vs great commendations whereas when they flie out and exceed the bounds of vertue they procure vs nothing but blame and infamy To conclude Passions are in the soule as the
sinnews in the body for as by meanes of sinnewes we extend â—r bend the members so by the operations of Passions wee carry our selues to good or euill and if wee will imploy them to good they are as it were spurres and obiects But if wee turne them to euill our sensuality makes vse of them like vnto him that keepes a slaue who makes vse of his chaine to draw him where he pleaseth So as the triumph of vertue consists not in pulling away or rooting out the Passions as monsters but in ruling and reforming them like vnto insolent and disobedient children for they grow in vs and are as the fruits buds of our sensuality which haue onely need to be made subiect vnto reason Finally they that haue any other opinion must remember that wee cannot wholy pull away the defects which proceed from nature And that may by our industry correct and moderate that which is borne with vs but not vanquish it and suppresse it wholy wherefore wisedom may not promise vnto it selfe any thing in this subiect seeing she hath no power The Passions are absolute and depend not on the Empire of vertue They present themselues vncalled Of Loue. The Preface AN Ancient sayd that to expell Youth out of our townes were to cut off the Spring time of the yeare But we may maintaine with no lesse truth that to banish Loue from a ciuill life and the conuersation of men were not only to depriue the yeare of her goodliest season but also as it were to pull the Sunne out of the firmament and to fill the whole world with horror and confusion For what is there in this life bee it amidst honors and glory in riches and treasures yea in delights and pleasures that can giue a full and sound content vnto man without the communication of the sweetenes thereof to friends Wherefore an excellent Philosopher said that if any one were raised aboue the heauens from whence he might behold all the wonders of nature and of the world and see with amazement the reuolutions periods order diuersity beauty of the Planets and Stars and had no friend to whom hee might impart this admiration all these things in steed of fulnesse of ioy would become displeasing and importune to his thoughts For as colours which are the most exquisite ornaments of nature how liuely and glistring so euer they be wil notwithsâ—aÌ„ding be darkned giue no pleasure to our eies if they were not enlightned and as it were inspired by the light which discouers vnto vs the singularities and perfections so what wealth or honor soeuer we enioy in this life we cannot tast the sweetnes therof but in representing vnto our selues the contentment which comes to theÌ„ we loue and whom we thinke haue an equal Passion on our behalfe Epaminondas gloried to haue won 2 battels his Father mother being yet liuing as if the ioy that those persons conceiued which were so neere to him had made his victories more stately increased the glory pompe of his triumphs In like manner there is no man liuing which in the cours of his prosperities doth not feel as it were an increase of happinesse when as he imagines that his friends are spectators partakers of his felicity And moreouer what can be sweeter to our thoughts then the image of a true constant loue which we are assured our frend doth beare vs What happinesse to haue a friend to whom we may safely open our hart and trust him with our most important secrets without appreheÌ„sion of his coÌ„science or any doubt of his fidelity What content to haue a friend whose discourse sweetens our cares whose counsells disperse our feares whose conuersation charmes our griefs whose circuÌ„spection assures our fortunes whose only prâ—sence fils vs with ioy and content Seeing then loue is a Passion which doth produce such sweete and pleâ—sing contents in the society of men we will endeauour to shew what his beginning is wherein his essence consists to what Persons it extends and what the effects bee Of the beginning of Loue. CHAP. 1. AS it is the custome of men to refer the noblest effects to the most excellent causes many considering the dignity of loue haue imagined that this Passion came from a particular impression which God makes in our Soules inspiring into them with the nature the affections which transport them and which makes them seeke the obiects which are pleasing vnto them The which they striue to proue by the example of the naturall inclinations which he hath giuen to other Creatures Wee see say they that God as the Author of nature hath ingrafted into light things an inclination to rise vpward to seeke the place of their rest by reason whereof the fire doth alway send his flame towards heauen And in like manner hee hath imprinted in heauy things a naturall inclination which makes them tend to the center so as stones marbles and such like do alwayes bend downeward do not hang in the aire but with violence and contrary to their inclination In the same manner say they God hath ingrafted in man a certain inclination to those things which haue some beames of beauty or bounty so as when these obiects come to incounter his eyes or minde he is rauished and then presently there is framed in his heart an ardent desire to seeke and pursue them They confirme this opinion by the diuerse inclinations which shine in the life of men from their birth For wee see some loue painting naturally others take delight in Geometry some are passionatly affected to the Liberall Arts others imbrace the Mechanicks some loue Hunting others burne with a desire of Play some are borne to War others are inclined to Mildnes and peace some haue no contentment but in solitarinesse and others cannot liue without the mannaging of affaires And whence say they proceed these so different inclinations but from the author of nature The which they confirme againe by the example of things which happen often in the loue which men beare one vnto another for that it will sometimes fall out that by a certaine simpathy of mindes wee shall loue at the first incounter a man whom we haue neuer before seene nor knowne So as it seemes this affection doth not then disclose it selfe in our soules taking forme so suddenly and sweetly but it is rather quickned and awaked by the presence of the obiect which makes vs to see that which we loue instantly without delay for that wee knew him not finding him so conformable to our humors and inclination The which hath made some presuppose that the beames of their eyes which loue incountering with the beames which proceed from the obiect which inflames them makes so sweete a mixture as their vnion is as it were the fulnesse of al the delights which may be tasted in this life And contrariwise at the first incounter wee shall haue a distast of some other person whom we